(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable seat system comprising seat belt buckles.
(2) Prior Art
The seat belts in automobile vehicles intended to maintain a passenger on a seat comprise anchoring points one of which is detachable. The detachable anchoring point is formed by a seat belt buckle intended to accommodate a ring. The buckle is often directly connected to the structure of the vehicle or, sometimes, to the framework of a seat.
Vehicles are sometimes equipped with foldable seats in two parts, separated along a longitudinal and vertical separation plane. Each part of the seat comprises a seat pan installed so as to pivot forwards and onto the floor and a backrest installed so as to pivot also onto the floor at the bottom. To enable the folding of the backrest, the buckle is connected to the floor by means of a flexible strap. Thus, the buckle is placed on the floor before the backrest is folded down on top of it. However, when the seat is returned to its utilisation position, the user must manually return the buckle to a position accessible by the passengers.
Moreover, certain foldable seats comprise a seat pan installed so as to pivot, on the one hand, on the backrest and, on the other hand, on two parallel seat pan links. The links are installed so as to pivot on the floor so that the seat pan moves towards the floor when the backrest is placed in folded position. In this case, the buckle cannot be placed on the floor. If the buckle is fixed, there is a risk that it will protrude above the rear face of the backrest when the backrest is folded down. In this case, clearance must also be provided in the backrest for the buckle.
Document JP-A-2-95953 relates to a seat system comprising a foldable backrest and a buckle support supporting two belt buckles and installed so as to pivot in relation to the floor of the vehicle. Connecting means connect the buckle support to the backrest in such a way that the pivoting of the backrest causes the buckles to pivot between a high position, in which the buckles are above the seat pan, and a retracted position, in which the buckles are housed in a cavity of the seat pan. However, the two buckles side by side are bulky and can hinder the two occupants of the seat sat on either side of the buckles.